Board & Care in Irvine: Your Memory Care Options

Are you looking for board and care in Irvine for a loved one with dementia? Getting an assisted living facility that can adequately care for seniors with dementia is tricky. Many facilities give one-service-fits-all kind of care which may not keep your loved one in the best physical and emotional state. You must consider that persons with dementia need specialized attention. This calls for facilities with better trained staff, good security and with well scheduled activities to keep the senior resident balanced and calm.

Well-Trained Staff

People living with dementia are likely to forget names, items, activities and even where they are. Those with dementia often are prone to mood swings and become easily upset or stressed. Staff members need to understand these concerns and be trained to handle the intricacies of dementia.  If an untrained person is assigned to your loved one this could lead to neglect or mistreatment of the senior. While many assisted living facilities take care to employ well trained staff, it is always good to interact with the staff when making your choice to assess their mannerisms and professional courtesy.

Secure Facilities

It is not uncommon for people with dementia to wander off and get lost in what are normally familiar surroundings. In fact about 60% of those with dementia will wander away from time to time, and this is one reason why assisted living or board and care in Irvine might be a good option. However, the assisted living facilities or board and care home should be well secured to keep the seniors in the facility.

Some facilities strike a balance between privacy and security by placing surveillance cameras in areas where seniors could easily get lost. They also design the facility to be easy to navigate but also to discourage wandering outside the facility. This might be as simple as painting door knobs and doors the same color as the walls to keep them blending in together or perhaps using childproof knobs on some doors or posting staff near each exit to help keep tabs on residents. With a board and care home, it can be easier to keep tabs on residents simply because there are fewer residents.

Scheduled Activities

Seniors living with dementia can get easily confused when in the middle of tasks, even personal care chores. This makes them distressed easily and upsets them emotionally. Providing residents with a simple, straightforward daily schedule can reduce anxiety. This will give them a sense of balance which keeps them emotionally calm. Additionally, scheduling activities and meals and providing some exercise will help prevent issues such as Sundowner’s Syndrome and general nighttime restlessness.

A Caring Environment

Your facility for board & care in Irvine should have a strong orientation towards caring for seniors with dementia. The staff needs to provide patient, compassionate care and each employee should understand the complexities of handling residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. If the staff seems impatient or disconnected with the residents, this might not be the best option. While board and care home staff typically help residents with daily hygiene and grooming care if needed, this is especially important for residents with dementia. Personal hygiene is one of the challenges for seniors with dementia simply because they often forget how to care for themselves or cannot remember if they have handled chores such as brushing teeth or changing into fresh clothing. Be sure that personal care needs will be met at any facility that you choose.

When contacting Care Placement for help, we can gear our search toward memory care facilities. We understand how difficult it can be to place a loved one with dementia into a board and care home or assisted living facility, and we strive to make this transition as easy as possible by providing you with a list of quality, pre-screened assisted living facilities and homes for board and care in Irvine.

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